The present invention relates to linear accelerators ("linacs") and electromagnetic focusing systems used with such linacs. More particularly, the invention relates to rf power systems for generating and delivering the high peak rf powers required by such linacs for acceleration of charged particle beams, or by such focusing systems for focusing such charged particle beams.
High-strength radio frequency (rf) electromagnetic fields, bounded by resonant cavities, are commonly used in particle accelerator systems to accelerate, focus, and/or deflect charged particle beams. The rf power required to sustain the electromagnetic fields in such resonant cavities is traditionally obtained from external rf power sources connected to the resonant cavities through some sort of rf power transmission line and rf power coupling devices. As such particle accelerators most always require vacuum conditions within the accelerating, focusing, or deflecting structure, rf windows must also be employed to couple the externally-generated high rf power into the vacuum assembly.
Unfortunately, such distributed systems, utilizing high power external rf generators, resonant cavities, high power transmission lines, couplers, windows, and the like are unnecessarily complex and expensive. Their use causes the overall cost and complexity of charged particle accelerator systems to be significantly increased, making such systems too expensive and complex to be viable for many medical, industrial, defense, or scientific applications that could otherwise make good use of accelerated, focused or deflected charged particles. What is needed, therefore, is a reduction in the cost and complexity of these systems so that particle accelerator, focusing or deflector systems (hereafter "charged particle systems") would be more viable for the many and varied medical, industrial, defense, or scientific applications that accelerate, focus, and/or deflect charged particle beams. The present invention advantageously addresses this and other needs.